Houdini’s Last Escape

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/07/2011 (5407 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Planetarium Auditorium (Venue 10), to July 23

Harry Houdini could escape from chains, ropes and straitjackets, but this Vancouver company’s two-hander can’t escape from its weirdly oscillating tone, darting between broad comedy and the historic tragedy of the escape artist’s final curtain.

Writer-director Ryan Gladstone’s hour-long escapade does give actor-magician Christopher Bange opportunity to perform some standard stage illusion in the role of Houdini, although the dramatic buildup to a trick titled “The Transformation” inevitably results in disappointment. As Houdini’s wife Bess, Tara Travis contributes some nice comic moments, augmented by her formidable physical stature. (Did Mrs. Houdini really tower over her hubby?) Even so, the ungainly mix of comedy, drama and magic does not magically transform into a cohesive whole.

— Randall King

From the official Fringe Festival program:

Can Houdini, the greatest escape artist of all time, escape his own death?

“Not only one of the most deft pieces of physical comedy I’ve ever seen – it is as subtle as it is funny, and as literate as it is energetic and frantic!” 5 STARS – SEE Magazine

“Hilarious!” 5 STARS – Westender

“Clever, fast-paced and imaginative!” 5 STARS – Winnipeg Sun

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Recommended For: General Audience

Length: 75 MIN

Tickets: $10